Brake-beam.



No. 690,547; Patented Jan. 7 I902.

J. H, BAKER. Y BRAKE BEAM.

(Application file d Apr. 27, 190;.)

(No modem 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

IIUEQIIIHE FIG. I-

U viTnn STATES PATE T OFFICE.

JAMES H. BAKER, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JAS. H.

BAKER MANUFACTURING 00., OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A GOR- PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

BRAKE-BEAM.

' SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 690,547, dated January 7, 1902.

Application filed April 27, 1901.

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H; BAKER, a elitizen of the United States, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Beams, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to IO certain improvements in brake-beams for railway-cars, and has for its object a construction permitting of the easy removal and-re- 'newal of any of the parts without injury to any of the other parts. The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of my improved brake- 2o beam. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views of one end of the beam on planes indicated by the lines III III and IV 1V, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is asectional View on a plane indicated by the line VV,Fig.1.

In the practice of my invention the com-.

pression member 1 of the brake-beam is formed of a structural shape, preferably an I-beam; On the ends of this compression 0 member are arranged heads, each of which consists of a sleeve or collar 2 and a brakeshoe carrier 3, said parts being formed in-- tegral with each other and the collar made of an internal shape or contour adapted to fit 3 5 around the ends of the compression member. Stops at are formed on the heads adapted to bear against the ends of the brake-beam and prevent movement of the heads along the same. On their inner sides the heads are ,4o provided with lateral extensions 5, suitably ber may be secured, if desired, to the extensions 5 by means of rivets 8, which pass through the heads 7, the extensions 5, and the flanges of the compression member, thereby securely connecting the several parts together; but ordinarily the overhanging walls of the abutments will be sufficient to retain the heads 7 in position. These rivets when used serve not only to take part of the strain of the tension member, thereby to a certain extent relieving the end wall of the socket, but also are supplemental to the shoulders 4 in preventing an inward movement of the heads on the ends of the compression member. These heads are provided, as is customary, with suitable means, as the perforated lugs 9, whereby a brake-shoe may be secured thereto, and also with the recesses lO for the reception of the'brake-shoe hanger.

The strut consists of a post 11, suitably 7o slotted for the passage of a brake-lever and socket 12 at its upper end for the reception, of a pin 13, which has its upper end suitably recessed for the reception of the tension mem her. This pin is forced outwardly by a key 14, which is wedge-shaped and preferably split, so that it may be locked in position. At its lower end this str-ut' bears upon the compression member and is provided on one side with a strap 15, which fits around the So flange of the beam and against the web, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The strut is pro-- vided on its opposite side with a strap 16, movably connected thereto, as by hinge or pivot-pin 17,andis so shaped thatwhen turned down it willfit in under the flange of the beam and bear against the web on the side, opposite the other strap. These straps are se cured to opposite sides of the web by means of a rivet 18, passing through them and the web.

The heads on the end of the compression member are preferably made of cast metal, as is also the strut member, and these several parts can be easily and quickly applied to and removed from the brake-beam*as, for

away and a new head slipped in position. I00

The strut can be removed and replaced by merely cutting away the rivet connecting the straps to the beam and by forcing out the wedge, so as to permit the pin 13 to drop. It will be observed that by forcing the pin 13 out the heads 7 are drawn into engagement with the abutments 5, and the brake-heads are drawn onto the compression member until the stops 4 bear against the ends of said member, so that all the parts of the beam are tied together by the strut, and only one rivet is necessary to secure the strut in position.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. A brake-beam having in combination, a structurally shaped compression member, brake-shoe heads arranged on the ends of the compression member and provided with lateral extensions on their inner sides, a tension member having its ends connected to said extensions and a strut interposed between the compression and tension members, substantially as set forth.

2. A brake-beam having in combination, a structurally-shaped compression member, brake-shoe heads having lateral extensions from their inner sides, said extensions being provided with abutments, tension members having heads or enlargements adapted to fit behind said abutments and a strut interposed between the tension and compression members, substantially as set forth.

3. A brake-beam having in combination, a structurally-shaped compression member, brake-shoe heads arranged on the compression member and having lateral extensions from their inner sides, said extensions being provided with undercut shoulders or abutments, a tension member provided with heads or enlargements at its ends adapted to fit un der the undercut abutments and a strut in terposed between the tension and compression members, substantially as set forth.

4. A brake-beam having in combination a compression member formed of structurallyshaped material, brake-shoe heads arranged on the compression member, a tension member having its ends connected with the brakeshoe heads, a strut interposed between the tension and compression members provided at its inner end with straps adapted to be secured to the compression member, one of said straps being movably connected to the strut,

substantially as set forth.

5. A brake'beam having in combination a compression member formed of structurallyshaped material, brake-shoe heads arranged on said beam, a tension member having its ends connected to the brake-shoe heads and an extensible strut arranged between the tension and compression members, said strut being provided at its inner end with straps adapted to be secured to the compression member, one of said straps being movably connected to the strut, substantially as set forth.

6. A brake-beam having in combination a compression member, brake-shoe heads having sleeves adapted to fit over the ends of the compression member and provided with stops or shoulders adapted to bear against the ends of the compression member, lateral extensions provided with undercut abutments formed on the inner sides of the brake-shoe heads, a tension member provided at its ends JAMES H. BAKER.

\Vitnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLco'rr, F. E. GAITHER. 

